Shang Dynasty Vesels

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O

i^l D i 3 3n t a t i n iiON THE

ANCIENT CHINESE VASESOP

THE SHANG DYNASTY,FROM

1743 to 1496, B. C.,

Illustrated with Forty-two Chinese Wood Engravings.

BY P. P. THOMS,Author of" The Affectionate Pair," " Chinese Courtship,"

&c., &c.

LONDON :PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 12, WARWICK-SQUARE;

ANDSOLD BY JAMES GILBERT, 49, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

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GIFT


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PREFACE.THE accompanying illustrations, with their descriptions, have been takenfrom the ancient Chinese work, entitled Ts p] l| Po-koo-too, whichextends to sixteen large Chinese volumes, containing several hundredplates of Vases, Jugs, Bottles, Mirrors, &c., of the Shang, Chow, and HanDynasties, comprehending a period of about 1784 years B.C. The com-pilers of this work were doubtless at considerable trouble and expense ;for they state that they had examined most of the vessels described inthe work, themselves, and that such as did not come under their notice,were copied from works of unquestionable authority.The plan observed in the original work is, to place all the Vases as a

class, in the order of the Dynasties ; having finished that class of illus-trations, they recommence and describe the drinking and other sacredvessels of the Shang Dynasty, instead of placing, as it were at one view, allthe rare articles of the Shang Dynasty, then those of the Chow, followedby those of the Han Dynasty.The Po-koo-too is illustrated with about 900 plates. Of the vessels of the

Shang Dynasty, there are 26 illustrations of those denominated Ting, vases,with which this work commences; 14 denominated Tsun, wine jugs; 7 E,a large cup or small basin ; 15 Yew, a jug for fragrant wine, with a handlethat extends over its mouth ; 3 Hoo, a tea-pot, also a bottle for wine ; 35Tseo, a wine-vessel with three legs, and a long lip ; 14 Tung, an eleganttall slender vessel with a wide mouth: these make 114 illustrations. Thevessels of the Chow Dynasty, although named as those of the Shang, differmaterially in their shape and design of chasing, so as to form a differentclass, which frequently have long inscriptions. Of this period, there are 50vessels denominated Ting ; 19 Tsun ; 18 E ; 23 Yew ; 8 Luy ; 1 Ping ; 16Hoo, a tea-pot ; 15 Tow, a wine-cup made of precious stone ; and 14Tang, making 164, with others, probably made of porcelain, elaboratelycovered with devices, well suited for containing the sticks of incense which


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4 PREFACE.are daily lighted, or for containing a bouquet of flowers for the Boudoir,that cannot easily be described. The handles of sacred vessels are orna-mented with what may be termed the lynx head, and not unfrequentlywith only the eyes, admonitory of reverence in their use, and may be tothe Chinese what we understand by the all-seeing eye. It appears veryremarkable, that of the 900 illustrations of vessels, no small portion of themintended expressly for the use of the altar, there is not found one vesselthat has a representation which personates a God, although a state religion,the worshipping of the Great Powers of Heaven and Earth, existed at thistime, with much superstition among the lower classes of the people. Canit be inferred that the first settlers in China, and for centuries after, re-tained an imperfect knowledge of the Divine law : " Thou shalt not makeunto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heavenabove ? " Exodus xx. 4,Although the Chinese have not had a national institution where ancient

relics might be deposited, their history clearly proves, that under everyDynasty there have been persons of eminence who have collected, atconsiderable expense, objects of interest for their rarity or value.CONFUCIUS, in his Chun-tsew, or History of the Kingdom of Loo (B.C.2142 to 1756), mentions that the Minister LIN-TSZE, on the founder ofthe Hea Dynasty possessing himself of the empire, made great exertionsto obtain whatever was rare and valuable for its antiquity. It is alsorecorded of the ambitious Minister TUNG-CHO (A.D. 200), that, on hisbeing appointed governor of the new city Mei-too, he sent persons invarious directions throughout the empire, regardless of the expense, to pro-cure ancient Vases, and whatever was esteemed rare and curious : the histo-rian states that he procured many vases and other scarce articles that weredeemed highly valuable. Besides these names, honourable mention is madeof a goodly number of virtuosi under each Dynasty, who have renderedconsiderable service in acquiring as well as in aiding to explain the inscrip-tions on the various vessels. Approaching our own times, it is well knownthat YUEN-YUEN, the late Viceroy of Canton (1820), had collected an ex-tensive museum of whatever was considered interesting ; but his attentionwas more particularly directed to commemorative as well as ancient in-


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PREFACE. 5scriptions, especially those on bells and coins. In a work which he pub-lished a few years before his death, he not only gives fac-similes of theseinscriptions, however injured by time, but in many instances supplied thedefective characters, which shows that the modern and original significa-tions of the same character are frequently very dissimilar. However muchChinese antiquaries may be indebted to the industry of YUEN-YUEN,which was doubtless great, as well as to the compilers of the Po-koo-too,they are probably more indebted to the violent acts of various despots,who, in disturbing the dead, discovered many vases that have been handeddown, than to the mere collecting efforts of the literati.The tyrant TSIN-C HE HWANG-TE, who built the great wall of China,

intent on establishing a new era, and unwilling that his government shouldbe fettered by ancient usages, ordered that all memorials of antiquityshould be destroyed, and that all documents and books should be con-signed to the flames. The literati who pertinaciously adhered to formerusages, were either imprisoned or buried alive ; then it was that thesacred vases of the Hea, Shang, and Chow Dynasties, which had beentransmitted from father to son, with ancient works and records ofevery description, were concealed by those who set a value on them,until after the death of the tyrant, when they were brought forth, or dugup, and highly esteemed. In the early periods of Chinese history, a customseems to have prevailed of interring with the dead honorary vases, whichreposed with them for ages ; but during the civil wars, more particularlythat about A.D. 200, the graves of the ancient monarchs and eminentstatesmen were dug up, and their ashes dispersed : then were many of theseancient relics discovered, and a new order of things having been estab-lished, they have been preserved to the present period. Regarding themmerely on account of their great antiquity, therefore, (above 3600 years !)independently of their symmetry and style of ornament, they cannot failto be interesting to all who attach a value to what is ancient ; while theirinscriptions establish, unquestionably, the fact, that the present Chinesewritten character is derived from hieroglyphical representations.The Preface to the Po-koo-too commences by ascribing the origin of all

inventions to FUH-HE, who, it is said, on looking up at the heavens, and


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6 PREFACE.investigating the earth, became fully acquainted with the active andpassive principles in nature, which enabled him to account for all the trans-mutations that take place. The active principle he named Yang, "themale energy ; " the other, Yin, " the female energy." These terms, inhis day, as well as by modern writers, have been applied to every thing.Whatever is superior or perfect, as the sun, or firmament, is consideredYang ; and what is imperfect or inferior, as the moon, or earth, is Yin.Thus things that are circular, or oval, are denominated Yang ; and thosethat are square, Yin. Bearing these remarks in the mind will assist inunderstanding some of the vessels, whether considered as superior or inferior.The vases with three feet have an allusion, it is said, to the ^ 3^\Three kung, or three stars, which are supposed to preside over the Prince,Ministers, and the People ; those with four feet are in honour of the Szefoo PQ fflW or four higher civil officers. The device called _^C >^N-| J T^T^ *^ P^.Haou-teen, on the vases, is intended to be admonitory against inor-dinate feasting at the annual sacrifices. The vases, &c., which are em-bellished with f^? ffj Yun-luy, "clouds and thunder," are supposedto have been originally given by the prince in consequence of agri-cultural merit; and in the same way, vases having the characters /Tl

^/^ I-~New, "ox," ^ELYang, "sheep," or -^k She, "hog," were given topersons who devoted their attention to rearing these animals. Thus, saysthe author, we discover that vases, &c., were anciently conferred as marks ofhonour by the prince and other illustrious personages, for services renderedto the state, and were preserved by the families thus distinguished, that therecord of their particular excellences might be transmitted to posterity.The larger vases were denominated 00} Nae; circular vases, \\[|J Tsae.

4i ^^ f '*-*Those designated 7fiHJ


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PREFACE.and sent by the emperor to offending ministers, whose crimes were not consi-dered as meriting death. On these, the character )t Keen, "rectitude,"was inscribed, to remind such persons how deficient they were in that noblequality.

In allusion to the worship which prevailed during the Hea, Shang, andChow Dynasties, but more especially during the Shang Dynasty, it is said,then were the gods revered, and that it was then the prevailing custom forevery person to present offerings to them, which is assigned as a reasonwhy so many vases have the character -i- Tsze, " son," inscribed on them.The same writer remarks, " If children are instructed in the rites of makingofferings to the gods (i.e. taught to worship the gods), it is apparent, that asthey grow up these things will engross their whole minds. The earlySovereigns attended to these matters ; and, when every person acts thus, willit not be an age of honouring the gods ? " or an age of moral excellence.The last volume of the Po-koo-too, with other antiquities, contains plates

of ancient mirrors, made of various metals, highly polished. Some of thesemirrors have inscriptions on the reverse side; others have flowers andominous animals depicted on them ; and several have Fuh-he's Pa-kwa, orcycle, and twelve animals, answering to our signs of the zodiac ; but, whilethey confine themselves to that number, the animals are not the same oneach mirror.The very early history of every nation must necessarily be obscure. It

is thus with Chinese History. But when we consider the very earlyperiod to which it goes back, it is somewhat surprising to find suchample records as her history affords. This in some measure may be easilyaccounted for. China has not, like many nations on rising into notice, un-dergone those barbarous wars, which, while they depopulate the kingdom,obliterate almost every advance of the human mind. Her early warswere not foreign, but internal j consequently they were against the thenconstitution, or against the rulers, not against the constitution as laid downby Fuli-he, who must be considered the founder of the Chinese Empire, andwho lived about 3300 B.C. All accounts prior to Fuh-he^ are consideredfabulous, and it is from his reign that the celebrated historian Choo-foo-tsze commenced his history, which is considered authentic.


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8 PREFACE.When the present work was commenced, it was the Translator's inten-

tion to have given designs of Vases of each of the Dynasties, which wouldhave marked the taste and style of each age ; and also to have tracedthe improvements in the written character during the same periods ;showing, in many instances, the alterations it underwent, both in form andmeaning ; a work that would have been highly interesting, in a literarypoint of view. But having achieved the object for which he was sent toChina by the Honorable East India Company, the Printing of the Rev.Dr. Morrison's Chinese Dictionary, he was necessitated to terminate hisresearches, which he was unable to resume in this country from the wantof the assistance of educated natives.The Vases are placed as they occur in the Po-koo-too. In a work of this

nature, considerable repetition is to be expected j nor are we to be sur-prised that different opinions should exist among the Chinese as to theancient signification of some of the characters, or as to the date assigned tothe several vases, &c. ; but, on the contrary, we shall admire the diligence andlearning often displayed by the Commentators, who were not stimulated byforeign rivalry and influence. The Translator has endeavoured to give afaithful version of the work he has selected ; and if it shall be found that,after having concentrated a few scattered rays with much toil and expense,he has thrown them to some advantage on the dark part of the history ofChina, he feels assured that no real lover of literature will consider histime as having been unprofitably spent.The Engravings which illustrate this little volume were engraved, or

rather cut, expressly for the translator, by A-LAE, a native of Canton, afterthe manner that blocks are cut for printing Chinese books ; this is done byholding a long sharp-pointed instrument nearly perpendicular in the righthand, and drawing its point towards the artist by the forefinger and thumbof the left hand, thus effecting their object with considerable speed. Asseveral Engravers, fully competent to give an opinion as to the execution ofthe Engravings, from which this work is printed, have not withheld theirmead of praise, they have been thought worthy of a place in the GRANDEXHIBITION OF 1851, and are a specimen of what the Chinese can do inthe art of Wood-engraving.


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PREFACE. 9As there are frequent references to the reigns of the Ancient Monarchs

in the course of this work, especially to those of the Shang Dynasty, thefollowing concise table may be of assistance to the reader who may be dis-posed to trace their date.

Fuh-he, Shin-nung, and Hwang-te, are spoken of as the Dynasty of theThree Sovereigns, whose united reigns extend from 3300 to 2622, or 678years. This Dynasty was succeeded by the Woo-te, or Five Sovereigns, whowere called Shoau-haou, Clmen-kuh, Te-kwuh, Tang-te-yaou, and Yu-te-chun, who reigned from 2538 to 2069, B.C., a period of 369 years. This wasfollowed by the Hea Dynasty, which consisted of 17 Sovereigns, from 2142to 1756 B.C., who reigned 386 years. This dynasty was followed by

THE SHANG DYNASTY.

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VASES OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.The Class denominated tfji Ting.

I.

Ancient Inscription on the side of the Vase. Modern form ofthe Characters contained inthe Inscription.

ft,*

THIS vase, it is said, was made of inferior gold. It measured, in height


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B.C. 1496.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 11seven Chinese inches ; its ears in length, one inch and two-tenths ; inwidth, one inch and four-tenths. Its internal depth was three inches.Its circumference at the mouth, was five inches and six-tenths ; and,round the centre, six inches : it was capable of containing about anEnglish pint. It weighed three pounds ten ounces, Chinese weightabout four pounds English ; and had the annexed inscription engraved onit, which reads thus : " During the 12th month of the year Kdng-woo, hisMajesty, in consequence of meritorious conduct, recorded the Yew-sheofficer of the fourth rank, (who presided over the Northern Agricultural De-partment), and gave him this valuable Vase, to be used when worshippinghis ancestors." The characters by the side of the ancient inscription, arethe modern forms ; and, as one of the ancient characters is not understood,a circle is placed in its stead.By its being denominated a^^ "/ Foo-yih Vase, it is presumed to

be as ancient as the Shang Dynasty ; for the character f Yih, formedpart of the names of several emperors of that period, as '?T[R f Tsoo-YIH, who was considered a good sovereign, and whose reign closed about1496 years before the Christian era; >K 7 SEAOU-YIH, whose reignclosed 1314 years B.C. ; and rpr 7^ WOO-YIH, who reigned 1184 yearsB.C. This monarch caused idols to be made, which he called celestial gods,and appointed persons to give them motion ; he was killed while hunting,as they say, by the force of thunder. He was a great tyrant ; and thosewho displeased him were instantly put to death on the plea that the godswere offended with them. He caused the blood of some of his victims tobe put into leathern bags, at which he threw darts for amusement. Hissuccessor j$T TAE-TING, who reigned 1181 years B.C., had a sonnamed YIH, who succeeded to the throne. On the Duke of CHOW beingsuccessful against the Choo-hoo-e-too foreigners, it is stated, that this princeconferred on him several high titles, and presented him with a Vase forfragrant wine, to be used when sacrificing. But as this Vase has the in-scription Foo-yih, the compilers state that it is doubtful by what Emperorit was

given.


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12 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1423.II.

This Vase measured in height, five Chinese inches and two-tenths ; its ears,one inch in height, and one inch and two-tenths in breadth ; its internaldepth three inches and two-tenths. At the mouth, five inches and two-tenths. It contained an English pint, and weighed nearly three pounds.The inscription, written in modern characters, is JUs ^y^ Kew-foo. Itis not known with certainty to whom this Vase refers ; but as there is a jugof this Dynasty for offering wine in, given by ]jTp[ TSOO-TING, whoreigned 1423 years B.C., bearing the same inscription, this is also supposedto have been given by him. The ears, and the lower parts of the vase, aswell as its legs, are plain, which is considered to add to its chasteness.

Wf^ 'I J2.|r "1C />^?V ^*5* x>ES- Luy-wan Haou-/I\A. g>~ Isc.teen. The first two characters may imply the " silken threads of thunder ; "the last two, " voracious eating " or feeding, as of a tiger ; which devicewas intended, doubtless, to convey to the mind of the worshippers thenecessity for reverence and abstinence, lest calamity befal them whileworshipping in the temple of their ancestors. This Vase, say the compilersof the Po-koo-too, from its great age, has become white, which is con-sidered another reason for concluding it to belong to the Shang Dynasty.


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B.C. 1423.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 13

in.

This beautiful vase measured in height, four Chinese inches and six-tenths : its ears, one inch in height, and one inch one-tenth in breadth. Itsinternal depth was two inches and eight-tenths. Its circumference at themouth, three inches and eight-tenths, and round the centre five inches andtwo-tenths. It contained about an English half-pint, and weighed nearlytwo pounds. The inscription is the ancient form of -4- Tsze, " a son."One authority affirms, that Tsze was a surname during the Shang Dynasty,hence often found on Vases of this period. Another states, that it im-plied that the Vase was to be handed down from " son to son, and fromgrandson to grandson." Though its exact age is not known, it is concluded,from the form of the engraved character, to be anterior to the ChowDynasty, which commenced 1105 years B.C. The Luy-wan Haou-teen orna-ment, or Egyptian scroll, as it is termed by Europeans, with the admonition"against eating to excess," (see preceding Vase) is carried round onlytwo-thirds of the Vase, leaving a third for the inscription. This Vase ismore rich in relief than any other of this Dynasty.


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14 ANCIKNT CHINESE VASES OF

VI.

[B.C. 1656.

This Vase was made of gold : it measured in height, five Chinese inchesand six-tenths : its ears, one inch in height, and one inch and two-tenthsin breadth : its internal depth, three inches and five-tenths : its circum-ference at the mouth, five inches and three-tenths ; round the centre, fiveinches and eight-tenths. It weighed two Chinese pounds and thirteen

t -ounces. The inscription is an ancient form of Mj~ Kang ; which thewriter HETJ-CHIN says, refers to the period of Autumn, when vegetationhas arrived at maturity. The character Kang, repeated, anciently implied" mature," and is an astronomical character.

During the Hea Dynasty, there were three emperors named KANG. Thefirst was named jC '//}~ TA-KANG, whose reign closed about 2104years B.C. During the Shang Dynasty there were four sovereigns namedKANG ; the first spoken of is ~^T jpf- TAE-KANG, a powerful prince, whoreigned 1656 years B.C. ; a1363 years B.C. ; a J

rrn.' PWAN-KANG, who reigned about

TSOO-KANG, who reigned about 1248 yearsB.C ; and TpP KANG-TING, who reigned 1188 years B.C. Thelearned acknowledge their inability to determine to which of the emperorsthis Vase may be referred. It had little or no ornament, and was admiredfor its chasteness of design.


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B.C. 1743.] THE SHA.NG DYNASTY. 15

V.

A golden Vase, that measured seven Chinese inches and eight-tenthsin height : its ears, one inch in height, and one inch and eight-tenths inbreadth : its internal depth, four inches and nine-tenths : its circumferenceat the mouth, seven inches and six-tenths ; round the middle, eight inchesand two-tenths. It contained about one quart. It weighed nine Chinesepounds and twelve ounces, and had the ancient form of


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16 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1743.

only a single character on each, it is thought that they must have belongedto the Hea or Shang Dynasties, doubtless not to the Chow, which succeededthem. Hence their age cannot be less than 3593 years ! about the timewhen the Patriarch JOSEPH was born.During the reign of CHING-TANG, there was seven years' drought, at the

close of which, the historian records, that the Prince repaired to the sacredMulberry-Grove, where, after praying, he thus publicly interrogated him-self: " Have I (the emperor) incautiously brought calamity on my people ?Have I deprived my people of their rights ? Have I squandered therevenue on my palaces ? Have I added to the number of my concubines(in consequence of being emperor) ? Have I viewed my subjects as thoughthey were the grass of the field ? or, Have I given place to sycophants ? "It is stated, that before his Majesty had concluded this examination of him-self,

a heavy rain fell over a great part of the country. It is thereforeconjectured that a new Vase was made to commemorate that event.

VI.

This Vase measured in height, five Chinese inches and five-tenths: itsears were one inch and two-tenths in height, and in breadth one inch


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B.C. 1743.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 17and three-tenths. Its internal depth was two inches and six-tenths. Itscircumference at the mouth, five inches and two-tenths ; round the centre,five inches and five-tenths. It weighed three Chinese pounds andseven ounces. The inscription is written, by the moderns, 7 ^fcxYih-maou. Maou rr~. "hair," is here understood to mean "herbage."The work Tso-chuen says, that Maou is synonymous with 1^~ Tseen,herbage generally; and that as all ponds, rivulets, and streams produceone or mpre of the vegetables Pin, Fan, Wan, and Tsaou, which wereeaten by persons of every class, such were proper for an offering to one'sancestors. This Vase is supposed to have contained an offering made ofthe ^3F^ Maou vegetable, which on the Vase is written ~f"l. Maou.I -> i^^Tsaou -\f~ " vegetables," which forms the top of the preceding characteris understood to express what the Vase contained.The emperor ~T^ TAE-TING, we have seen, had a son called 7

YIH. It is conjectured that this Vase was given by him. The relief iscalled ibm ^y Shen wan. Shen is an insect of the Gryllus species ; andthe relief on the centre of the Vase represents the wings of that insectenriched with what we term the Egyptian scroll. This insect makes agreat noise during the fifth moon, when the Le-che fruit is ripe. The relief

Haou-teen, 't" voracious feeding." The writerbout the neck isagain observes, the relief was intended as an admonition against gluttonyand excess, when sacrificing to their ancestors. Thus, continues he, what-ever we obtain from the ancients, whether devices or inscriptions, theyhave all a significant and admonitory meaning.


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18 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF

VII.

[B.C. 1743.

This beautiful Vase measured in height, five Chinese inches and nine-tenths ; its ears one inch and two-tenths, and in breadth one inch ;its internal depth, three inches and two-tenths. In front at the top, itmeasured five inches and one-tenth ; in breadth, three inches and nine-tenths ; at the bottom in front, five inches ; in depth, three inches andeight-tenths. It was capable of containing about an English pint. Itweighed four Chinese pounds and twelve ounces. It had four feet, withthe above inscription. The characters within the square, at the top of theinscription, are xM ~J^- Chaou-foo, supposed to be the name of a person ;but, as it is not found in standard works, it is not known to whom it alludes.The other characters signify the day and month when made. The lastcharacter but one is not understood.There is another Vase, with the same inscription, which is also considered

to belong to the Sfiang Dynasty.


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B.C. 1743.] THE SHANG DYNASTY.VIII.

19

A golden Vase that measured six Chinese inches and four-tenths inheight ; its ears one inch and two-tenths, and the same in breadth ; itsinternal

depth,three inches and three-tenths. In front at top, it mea-

sured five inches and five-tenths ; in width, four inches and one-tenth. Atthe bottom in front, five inches and six-tenths ; at the bottom in widthfour inches and two-tenths. It contained rather more than an Englishquart. It weighed five Chinese pounds and nine ounces ; and had fourfeet, with the above inscription. The square is the character tip A, havinga dragon within. Below it are the two characters XV>V 1 Poo-tiny.The Po-koo-too says, that ?p should here be understood to mean a

house, temple, or a niche for an idol ; and that Foo- ting was a general termfor Vases of the Shany Dynasty. The Tseih-hoo-chae ^ff ^f zm byYUEN-YUEN, the late Viceroy of Canton, a learned work on ancient in-scriptions, says, that this Vase is now in the possession of WANG-SHE, atHan-chow, in Keang-nan ; and that there are a great many Vases extantwith the inscription cj Jj A. From the Sung Dynasty, and downwards,it has been generally supposed, that tT5 was anciently an ornament


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20 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1743.of temples. TSEEN-HEEN-UHE says, that ?p is the ancient form ofwriting a&E Fuh, " to embroider." The Viceroy considers j Fuh and

Foo, the same, signifying " to embroider crowns ; " but that whenanything denominated &; Fuh was embroidered, it resembled -2&- .Foo,

^T-Tj- I "" a battle-axe ; " and that Bp is formed of two tj Kungs, placed backto back, and should be written C p , which is an example of that class ofcharacters denominated 'eg*- ~M~ Hwuy-e, whose forms express their im-Ef 1^port. Hence all Vases that contain the above character, should be under-stood as having been given in consequence of military fame, which the twoR Kung, "bows" are thought happily to express. The same remarkapplies also to the grasping of a bow or spear ; or any missile weapon, de-picted on a Vase. A tiger indicates fierceness. Six Vases of the ChowDynasty have been obtained with tigers engraved on them.

IX.

This Vessel in height measured seven Chinese inches ; its ears one inch

and five tenths, and one inch and three-tenths in breadth. Its internal depth,three inches and two-tenths. At the mouth it measured in length five


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B.C. 1743.] THE SHA.NG DYNASTY. 21inches and one-tenth; in breadth, three inches and eight-tenths. At thecentre it measured five inches and two-tenths ; in depth, four inches andnine-tenths. It weighed four Chinese pounds and one ounce, havingfour feet, with an inscription of eleven characters. The first charactercontains the name ^3 ^P CHAOU-FOO, and is followed by f^~ Shih,1 . *~"l^" a house," which on Vases, is understood in the sense of Iftn Maou, " atemple." Hence it is inferred that this was a vessel used by the Chaoufamily, when worshipping in the temple of their ancestors.

^T\ X.

This Vase measured in height, five Chinese inches and seven-tenths ;its ears, one %inch and one-tenth ; one inch and three-tenths in breadth ;its internal depth, three inches : its circumference at the top, five inches ;round the centre, five inches and two-tenths. It weighed three Chinesepounds and one ounce ; and had three feet. The inscription consisted ofthree characters ; one of which represents the growth of grain, with thecharacters t/jt^ F^ Foo-ke. This inscription is not thought to be veryperspicuous, though there might have been an assignable reason for it.The inscription, however, is deemed sufficiently conclusive to warrant itsbeing assigned to the Shang Dynasty. The compilers of the Po-koo-toopossessed a wine cup, on which is engraved a figure holding a lance, which


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22 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.is also supposed to belong to the Shang Dynasty. The ears, rim, and feetof this Vase are plain ; while two-thirds of the body is ornamented withthe Haou-teen and Luy-wan style of relief.

XI.

This Vase measured in height five Chinese inches and one-tenth ; itsears, one inch and two-tenths ; and in width, one inch and four-tenths ;its internal depth, three inches and three-tenths: its circumference atthe mouth, five inches; round the centre, five inches and five-tenths.It contained about a pint, and weighed two Chinese pounds and sixounces. It had three feet, with an inscription of a youth grasping aweapon, with the characters ' p^ Foo-ke. Of the three Dynasties Hea,Shang, and Chow, Shang, it is said, was the period when the deities weremostly revered ; and when sacrificing, profound reverence was observed.The above hieroglyphical form of the character was not then exclusivelyconfined to tripods, such as we have been describing, but was found onvessels for containing fragrant wines. All inscriptions in which -- Tszeis combined, imply the exertions of the utmost effort to discharge the dutiesof the situation that a person filled. During the reigns of the early sove-reigns, it is stated, on state occasions, that sons, when waiting on theirparents at meals, were required to take the Hwan, " ornamentedknife," and carve and hand round to their sires. At each period in life


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B.C. 1627.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 23they were taught particular ceremonies. At a certain age, and on specialoccasions, the youths on entering the presence of their parents, were re-quired to hold a kind of spear or battle-axe ; and, when able to attend toagriculture, they bore before them the ploughshare. Such conduct, it isobserved, was considered the height of filial respect. It is added, ' If thusrespectful to parents, how much more did it become them to be so whenworshipping the gods.'

It is supposed that ^P \~^ Foo-ke alludes to isjtk ( J YOUNG-KE,who reigned about 1627 B.C. It was his custom to sacrifice three times ayear. In consequence of the nobles refusing to repair to his court, he re-signed the throne, and his brother ~T\~ TTT TAB-MOW, who succeededhim, is supposed to have made use of this Vase when worshipping iu thetemple of his ancestors. It is recorded of TAB-MOW, that he was a virtuoussovereign ; and that in his government he imitated the ancient worthiesFuh-he, Shin-nung, and Hwang- te, having nourished his people, he wasrevered by all the nobles of the surrounding states or principalities ; andthat on one occasion, no fewer than seventy-six attended at his court.

XII.

This Vase measured in height, five Chinese inches and nine-tenths : itsears were one inch and four-tenths high, and one inch and five-tenths


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24 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.broad. Its internal depth was three inches and four-tenths. Its circum-ference at the mouth, four inches and eight-tenths ; round the centre, fiveinches and six-tenths. It weighed five Chinese pounds and two ounces.

The inscription consists of an upright lance, with the characters ^^^^ Foo-hwei. It is conjectured that this Vase, with others, having si-milar inscriptions, had reference to the sports of the field, which are heretermed " manly exercise." There is also a bottle, with an inscription of alance or spear ; a tripod, with a lance laid diagonally ; and a particularkind of wine-cup, having a lance depicted on it, which vessels are all de-nominated Foo-kweL

XIII.

This Vase measured in height, nine Chinese inches and six-tenths ; itsears two inches in height, and one inch and six-tenths in breadth. Itsinternal depth, six inches and three-tenths. Its circumference at themouth, eight inches and six-tenths ; round the centre, eight inches andseven-tenths. It weighed fourteen Chinese pounds and two ounces. Ithad three feet ; and the inscription is a hieroglyphic representation of ascorpion. As the character differs from the common seal form, it is con-cluded to be an ancient Vase. The sting of a scorpion, however small, is


31/76

B.C. 1627.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 25considered very venomous, and is what the good man carefully avoids :hence the propriety of engraving it on a Vase. By some it is thought tobe a person's name ; for during the thirteenth year of CHOW-KUNG, therewas a * iMi KCNG-CHAE, and a ^r^- /[T(\ "*l KUNG-TSUN-CHAE,and others. Hence it is presumed that the family name of Chae must haveexisted under the Shang Dynasty.

XIV.

This Vase measured in height, six Chinese inches and one-tenth ; itsears were one inch in height, and in breadth one inch and two-tenths. Itsinternal depth, three inches and six-tenths. Its circumference at themouth, five inches and three-tenths ; round the centre, five inches and six-tenths. It had three legs, and weighed four Chinese pounds and a half.GAN-WANG-GAN, in explanation of the inscription upon this Vase, says,

that the ancient form oiPing -jj*~ " to grasp hold of," is composed of theancient form of^ " grain," and 5? Yew, " the hand." But he wasunable to give any meaning to :3? nEw Ping-chung, the two centrecharacters of the inscription. YUEN-YUEN, the late viceroy of Canton, who


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26 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.had successfully explained many ancient inscriptions, says, that the twoside characters, which the compilers of the Po-hoo-too were unable to de-cipher, are 1| Chioang and V Peen ; and the bottom character not 'YdjChung, but FJ Muh, "the eye;" which, when united, forms the characterIHf ^"^IftL Ting, " a vase." Hence the inscription implies Ping's Vase, whichseems probable. It is considered a very beautiful vessel.

XV.

This Vase in height, measured five Chinese inches and eight-tenths ;its ears were one inch and one-tenth in height ; in breadth, one inch andthree-tenths. Its internal depth 'was three inches and two-tenths. Itscircumference at top, four inches and nine-tenths ; round the centre, fiveinches and two-tenths. It weighed three Chinese pounds and two ounces ;and had three feet, with an inscription of eight characters, enclosed withinthe character | T A.Jo jfr the highest character, is supposed to be the maker's name.

That beneath it, on the left, represents an erect standard, indicative ofpower. The third character on the right, is a hieroglyphical representa-


33/76

B.C. 1627.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 27tion of two hands, offering or rendering assistance. In three corners of thesquare the character

"

Ting, occurs repeated. X EP Foo-kea, nearthe centre, and ~7 Yih, on the left side of the standard. Kwei /* oc-curs under the first '-Ting. In this brief inscription there are no fewerthan four astronomical characters. The character ^^ Foo, " father,"indicates this Vase to have been sacred to the head of a family, and notintended for the use of the sons during the father's life-time.The characters which are applied to the nine standards are derived fromJ-jCTf] Ke, which is the modern form of the hieroglyphical character forstandard. The standard of a Choo-how, or Duke, was called "jfe Ke ; a_ . .Keun-le, or General, ^jj Ke ; a Koo-leang, *n Chen; the higherofficers of state, jjffi^ Yu ; those of the secondary rank, who had one ormore dragons depicted on their standards, Tfjj/ Chaou, &c., &c. Theoffering of any thing with both hands indicates veneration for the thingoffered, or respect for the person to whom it was offered. The She-king(Book of Odes, by Confucius) remarks, that " all officers when sacrificingappear in their state dress ; and that the virtues of the sages in veneratingtheir ancestors, cannot be excelled."The Chinese have ten astronomical characters ; and twelve characters for

the divisions of the day and night. The inscriptions on Vases, &c., duringthe Shang Dynasty, were brief, the day only being mentioned : but duringthe C/tow Dynasty, the hour has been given. In remote antiquity, the dayswere distinguished into >3^ M Jow.jih, " soft day," and pllj f j Kang-SjT^*. I / ** -4 I 1jih, "hard day." Other writers have designated them Yin and Yang,"male and female days," synonymous with luchy and unlucky days. Mar-riage sacrifices, and those offered on other domestic occasions, were pre-sented on a Jow-jih, or " soft day ; " those on military, or similar occasions,were invariably offered on a Kang-jih, or "hard day." Probably to thiscustom may be traced the present felicitous and infelicitous days, dayswhich are considered proper or improper for marriages, sacrifices, &c.This Vase having the character tp Kea, it would be used on a Kang-jih," hard day," consequently on a military occasion. Its workmanship beingexquisite, it is supposed to have been made during the tranquil period ofthe Shang Dynasty.


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28 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.

XVI.

This Vase was five inches and seven-tenths in height ; its ears, one inchand seven-tenths ; its containing depth three inches and four-tenths ; and itmeasured round the centre, five inches and four-tenths. It weighed threepounds and nine ounces, and had an inscription of one character, supposedto mean a beast of prey. This Vase is considered very ancient and verychaste, and is enriched with the Haou-teen device. The virtuosi of theChow Dynasty, on examining the Vases that had been transmitted, ad-mitted that this vessel must have belonged to the Shang Dynasty. It ishere stated, that CONFUCIUS, in his Chun-tsew History, remarks, heknew not the origin of the admonition Haou-teen, " voracious eating,"and therefore it is presumed that its use must have been very ancient.The same work narrates, that during the third year of Duke TSEW-KUNG,on King TSUN-MAWN discoursing on Vases, he states, " That the founderof the Hea family, besides collecting vessels that were rare, on receivingtribute in gold from the Prince of KEW-MUH, caused it to be melteddown, of which Vases were formed ; which Vases were copied by the peopleof Shang, the succeeding Dynasty.


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B.C. 1627.] THE SHA.N G DYNASTY. 29

XVII.

This Vase measured five inches and five-tenths inheight ;

its ears oneinch ; its containing depth, three inches and three-tenths ; it measuredround the centre five inches ; and weighed three pounds and ten ounces ;with an inscription of three characters, viz. Moon, Fish, and Altar or Stand.The ancients, it is said, frequently offered sacrifice. When they madetheir offerings to Heaven, it was on a round eminence ; when to the Earth,it was on a square eminence, remote from the capitol. When offeringswere presented to the Sun, it was observed in the Royal Palace ; when tothe Moon, it was in the Ya-ming apartments of the palace (Ya-ming,means splendid night) ; and to the Stars, in the Yew-yung apartments, so thateach had a temple or apartment set apart for the offerings, where their aidwas solicited. The offerings accorded with the particular season of theyear. SHWO-WAN remarks, that in Winter fish was offered to the Moon ;but that in Spring, it was necessary to offer the Wei fish, which is not de-scribed. He further remarks, that the altar or stand anciently used, wasof the form of the last character of the inscription.


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ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.

XVIII.

The size of this Vase is not mentioned. It is remarked, that as many ofthe descendants of Yu (who is said to have carried off the waters of theDeluge) were named ~\T Ko, which means a " spear, or lance," witha transverse point, the name during the Shang Dynasty having becomepopular, many persons who had a taste for Vases caused that characterto be inscribed on them, as well as on bottles, jars, &c. ; the modernstherefore feel confident that this Vase must have belonged to the ShangDynasty. The work Tsze-shwo, by Gan-shih, observes, that -^nr Ko, " a

Jb-P "^^spear," and Efu Keih, "a halberd," were weapons used by the military :~T>%and that Ko, the lesser weapon was depicted on vessels used for eatingand drinking, to remind persons against danger. The pronoun ~%\T Wo,******" I or We," is formed of Ko, to remind individuals, that he hasenemies, with whom, if he has not intelligence to compete, he willsustain defeat : this is what the ancients wished to guard against ; and isanother illustration of those characters which from their form express their


37/76

B.C. 1627.} THE SHANG DYNASTY. 31import, or are significant characters. The Vase is denominated aFoo-kea, which is here said to imply commanding respect for the gods.

XIX.

This Vase measured in height, six Chinese inches and six-tenths ; itsears were one inch and three-tenths in height, and in breadth one inchand four-tenths. Its internal depth was four inches and four-tenths. Itscircumference at the neck, five inches and nine-tenths; and round thecentre, six inches and seven-tenths. It weighed four Chinese pounds andsix ounces. It was chiefly embellished with the Yun-luy, " cloud and thun-der device," and had ^jj^ ^^ 7 Ke-foo-yih, inscribed on it ; whichis considered an evident proof that the Vase belonged to the ShangDynasty.There is a Jug, denominated CHAOU-KUNG'S jug, with the above inscrip-

tion on it, that has been satisfactorily proved to be of the Chow Dynasty,and was given by one of those sovereigns to PAOU-TA, the descendant ofCHAOU-KUNG, whose proper name was f Yih; the word S$* Foo>which precedes the name, is here said to be a mere honorary title. On


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32 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES OF [B.C. 1627.comparing the Vase with the Jug, from its form and style of embellishment,as well as the antique form of the characters on the Vase, the writer en-tertains no doubt of its being a Vase of the Shang Dynasty.Ke 5j^. is supposed to be the name of a state during this Dynasty ;

and though the records of the Dynasty do not mention such a state, yetit is very possible that there was a state of that name ; for it is said, that onCHING-TANG, the founder of the Dynasty, ascending the throne, 1743 B.C.,no fewer than three thousand nobles resorted to his court ; many of whompresided over petty kingdoms or states !

XX.

This Vase measured in height, six Chinese inches and nine-tenths ; itsears were one inch and six-tenths high, and one inch and five-tenthsbroad. Its interior depth was four inches and one-tenth. Its circum-ference at the neck, five inches and eight-tenths ; and round the centre, sixinches and four-tenths. It weighed three Chinese pounds and six ounces ;IBIand had the ancient form of .IRL. Ting, "a tripod," engraved on it.That this Vase belongs to the Shang Dynasty there can be no doubt, fromits symmetry, as well as from the ancient form of the character Tint/.


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B.C. 1627.] THE SHANG DYNASTY. 33^^ ucjIn later times, this character was written these several ways, ^ F yv

| | TI f^ ^**5


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34 ANCIENT CHINESE VASES. [B.C. 1627.doubt, from the relief, but that it is a Vase of the Shang Dynasty. Accord-ing to the record Gau-le, there was a person named FEI, master of thehorse to king KEAOU, of the Chow Dynasty ; but, as he lived nearly twohundred years after the close of the house of Shang, there is no probabilityof its being a Vase belonging to him. But the descendants of WEI-KUNG,who lived about the time of "jifB Efl TSOO-KEA, 1215 B.C., were calledFBI, which family is known to have existed for five generations ; it istherefore presumed to have belonged to one of them, to which, the writerobserves, there is some doubt.


41/76

WINE VESSELS OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.The Class denominated M. Tsun.

XXII.

THIS Vessel measured in height nine Chinese inches and two-tenths ;its containing depth was eight inches ; its circumference at the top, seveninches and eight-tenths ; and at the centre, seven inches and five-tenths.It weighed seven Chinese pounds and twelve ounces, and was capable ofcontaining three pints. On the back was engraved the above inscription,which is now written Yjj? 'j^


42/76

36 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1552.sents him as grasping a sword in each hand, indicating acquired power ;and is considered a very early mode of writing the character. The vessel,which is of a quadrangular form, is highly valued for its antiquity, and itsworkmanship is considered very beautiful. When sacrificing, two of thesevessels were commonly used for containing wine.

XXIII.

This Vessel measured in height, eleven Chinese inches and seven-tenths ;its containing depth was eight inches and six-tenths. At the mouth, itmeasured eight inches and three-tenths ; and round the centre, fourinches. It weighed eight Chinese pounds and five ounces. The inscrip-tion may be thus translated : " This valuable Vessel is made in honour ofthe ancestors of Mow."There was an Emperor named ~7\~ ~Jy~ TAB-MOW, who reigned

1552 B.C., who has already been mentioned, and to whom this vessel issupposed to refer. By his descendants, who were persons of eminence


43/76

B.C. 1552.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 37during nine generations, it was used when worshipping at the altarsraised to him. The compilers of the Po-koo-too consider it a most beauti-ful and elegantly-executed vessel, and say, it has excited the admiration ofall who have seen it, more especially when its great antiquity is considered.

XXIV.

This Vessel, including its cover, measured in height six Chinese inchesand two-tenths ; its containing;;depth was four inches and one-tenth. Itscircumference at the mouth, was three inches and three-tenths ; round thecentre, three inches and five-tenths. Its containing capacity was rathermore than a pint, and it weighed one Chinese pound and two ounces.The inscription contained eight characters, including the one on the cover.During the Shang Dynasty, it was customary for the Clioiv officer four

times a-year to sacrifice at the royal altars, and invoke blessings on thegovernment and people. On these occasions vessels were set apart, onwhich certain animals were depicted, in accordance with the season of theyear. The inscription may be thus rendered : " CHOW (the Tae-sze


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38 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1552.officer) made this Foo-yih (sacred vessel)." The last character is a hiero-glyphical representation of the uJFE Wei animal, which is variously de-scribed ; one says it is a large animal resembling a rhinoceros ; another, aspecies of baboon, with a very long tail, with which it is capable of sus-pending itself from a tree. The character ^^ Woo, on the cover, whichis now written -fl Woo, "Five," is thought to indicate the order inwhich the vessel was used. When the Emperor in person sacrificed, two ofthese vessels were required. The reader will observe that the last characterdiffers from the ancient form of J^p* Hoo, " a tiger," the tail being curved.

XXV.

This Vessel measured in height, eight Chinese inches and five-tenths;its containing depth was seven inches. Its circumference at the mouth,six inches and eight-tenths ; round the centre, three inches and seven-tenths. It was capable of containing about three English pints, andweighed three Chinese pounds. It had the above inscription, which is


45/76

B.C. 1455.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 39now written H j /V "trr A-jin Sin, "the men of Sin." The lastcharacter formed part of the name of three Emperors of the Shang Dynasty,viz. nfH -- TSOO-SIN, whose reign closed, 1455 B.C. ; >K -jpr SEAOU-SIN, 1342, and Igp -^ LIN-SIN, 1209 B. C., who were not distin-guished by anything remarkable in their conduct or government. How-ever, to one of them it is supposed to have belonged. Several vessels withthe same inscription have been transmitted to modern times.The Chinese speak of their ancient Emperors ij YAOU and ^j*J L< 'TSHUN (the former of whom died about 2230 years B.C.), as the mostcelebrated in their history, and as being appointed by Heaven to governthe people, who were styled 1=^f Te, " Sovereigns," potentates who dis-pensed laws according to the principles of Heaven.The Sovereigns of the Hea Dynasty, who also cultivated virtue, and

acted in obedience to Heaven, considering themselves not worthy to use thetitle Te, "Sovereign," changed the imperial designation to -f- Wang," king," which preceded their names, as -4- IKM Wang Seang, " King'I MSeang," whereas the former designation followed the name ; intimatingthat they were persons inferior to the Sovereigns HWANG-TE, YAOU,and SHUN. But the Sovereigns of the Chow Dynasty (900 years later),to shew their veneration for their predecessors, placed the title againafter the name, as Tpn -J--. Woo Wang, " Woo, the king." The workl^\t _Lentitled Ke-le, when treating of the Shang and Choio Dynasties, adoptsthe following European mode of expression, "the people of Shang," and" the people of Chow," which mode of speech is thought to confirm theinterpretation of the above inscription, "The people of Sin ;" i. e. a vesselset apart for invoking a blessing on the people of the state Sin.The writer hitherto has been unable satisfactorily to account for the in-

variable use of qp A, (the first character in the inscription,) precedingthe names of persons, when addressed, as J.-lae, -4-yin, .4-mow, &c. does itowe its origin to the above inscription, >' a person of theiae, Yin, Mow, orSin families" ? It has not the same import as Mr. with us, for it formspart of the signature of the lower classes of the people, when they writetheir names. Is it used for mere euphony, that the second sound maystrike the ear more forcibly ?


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40 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELSXVII.

[B.C. 145r>.

This Vessel measured in height, eight Chinese inches and eight-tenths ;its containing depth was seven inches. Its circumference at the top sixinches and eight-tenths ; and around the centre four inches and five-tenths.Its containing capacity was about an English pint, and it weighed threeChinese pounds and twelve ounces.

In remote antiquity, besides conferring honorary vessels, it was thecustom for the Prince to reward the merits of those ministers who had dis-tinguished themselves, by inscribing their names and deeds in some publicrecord, which record was denominated 44ff Tseih. In the above inscrip-tion this character is repeated, implying that the name of the individual towhom the Vessel was presented had often been recorded for [distinguishedmerit. The first character was the hieroglyphic mode of writing Y&Sun,* -^ r J" a grandson, or descendant ;" the two latter ^j 7 Foo-yih. Thecompilers of the Po-koo-too here remark, that Yih seems to be the nameof the family, and Foo, which is generally rendered " father," means" ancestor ;" hence they read this inscription, "The grandson having re-


47/76

B.C. 1455.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 41peatedly caused himself to be recorded on account of meritorious conduct,has had this Vessel made for his own use when worshipping in the temple ofhis ancestors." They further remark, that it has been shewn under thefirst Vase, that no fewer than four Emperors of this Dynasty took the nameof "7 YIH, and consequently, at this great distance of time it ought notto excite surprise, if we are unable to determine to whom it refers ; al-though, from the ancient form of the characters, there is not the leastdoubt but that it is a vessel of the Shang Dynasty.

XXVII.

AThis Vessel measured in height, eight Chinese inches and nine-tenths ; its

containing depth was seven inches and six-tenths ; its circumference at themouth, six inches and nine-tenths : round the centre, four inches and one-tenth. It weighed four Chinese pounds and eight ounces ; and had theabove inscription.The relief, which is denominated " clouds and thunder," is considered

extremely chaste. The first character of the inscription represents a mis.


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42 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1455.sile weapon raised, and imports, when on a Vase or Wine Vessel, an admoni-tion against excessive eating and drinking at the time of sacrificing. Thetwo last characters are /v -^^ Jin Kwei, " the people of Kwei." Thefather of CHING-TANG, the founder of the Dynasty, being called KWEI,it is conjectured that the people of his native district presented him withthis Vessel, to be placed in the temple of his ancestors, and that it wasafterwards removed to the royal temple of the house of Tang.

XXVIII.

This Vessel, with its cover, measured in height seven Chinese inches andtwo-tenths ; its containing depth was four inches and six-tenths ; its cir-cumference, at the neck, three-inches and seven-tenths ; round the centre,four inches. It weighed two Chinese pounds and fifteen ounces. Theabove inscription was on the cover, as well as on the vessel.

| .j -^The Vessel is supposed to have been made by ""7^ TpF TAE-KANG,


49/76

B.C. 1C56.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 43\f^f S~"^and presented to his brother y3- YUH-TING,* who surrendered

the throne to him about 1656 B.C. About one hundred years later, therewas an emperor named 'fab CHUNG-TING, who also resigned thethrone to his brother


50/76

44 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1656.tenths ; and its containing depth was eight inches and one-tenth. In cir-cumference at the mouth, it measured five inches and six-tenths ; roundthe centre, seven inches and four-tenths ; and it weighed ten Chinesepounds. It had no inscription. This Vessel, the Po-koo-too says, has al-ways been considered very beautiful, and very ancient. That part of therelief which forms a circle in the centre, is considered as represent-ing the imaginary "faP Lung, Dragon, "the god of rain;" who is saidto ascend and descend in the clouds, which is the Imperial Arms ofChina, and is depicted on our title page, having four legs with claws.Its origin is carried back to the time of Fuh-he, (2962 years B. C.) who issupposed to have seen it come out of a river in Ho-nan province, andwas then adopted as the national sandard ; it therefore has existed nearly5000 years ! In the United Service Museum, Whitehall, there is an Im-perial arms, in brass, about two feet high, with large Chinese Charactersin the centre (the tortuous Dragon in beautiful relief forming its frame),which reads thus, Wan suy, wan, wan suy, " May the Emperor live tenthousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years !" that is, May the Em-peror live for ever and ever. It is this Lung that is yearly honored bywhat is termed the Feast of Lanterns, when almost literally the wholemale population of the rural districts, and other places, parade the streets,each bearing on high a lighted lantern, preceded by bands of music and along Dragon with a large mouth, made of silk, in which are men, who byplunging give it numerous contortions, which afford no small amuse-ment. From a short distance, the glare of light, with the wanderingsof such a body of persons, and the incesant noise of crackers, make it aninteresting sight.

The four sides of the Vessel are also said to represent, or to jbe inhonour of, the felicitous bird Hwang, which appears only at periods ofgreat national prosperity. Other parts of the relief, which are describedin the same fanciful manner, were, in those days, considered admonitory ofthe necessity of decorum and propriety when sacrificing, by not abusingthe creatures.


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B.C. 1627.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 45

THE E jgg VESSELS OF THE SHANG DYNASTY,Containing Water and the Fragrant Wine * Yuh-chang.

XXX.

This Vessel measured in height five Chinese inches and seven-tenths ;its containing depth, four inches and five-tenths ; its circumference at thetop, seven inches and two-tenths. It weighed five Chinese pounds andfourteen ounces. It had two handles, or ears, as the Chinese term them,for ornament. This Vessel is considered very plain, but was used forsacred purposes. The handle is said to be formed of the head of an animalknown for its greedy appetite : hence its admonitory design. It had noinscription.


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ANClEiNT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1G27.

XXXI.

This Vessel measured in height six Chinese inches ; its containing depth,four inches and seven-tenths ; its circumference at the top, eight inchesand two-tenths ; and around the centre, eight inches. It weighed sevenChinese pounds and six ounces ; and had two handles, with the inscriptionof I ' "lEtiv E-KEU. The ornament on the vessel is called ^\ Joo,"breast," of which there are a hundred and forty-one. There were se-veral Sovereigns of this Dynasty who took the name of E, but it is consi-dered uncertain to whom the inscription alludes. Anciently, a person ofthe name of LE-KING, of the state Lin, obtained a valuable Vase at Shmc-yang, with a similar inscription ; and a person named WANG-KEAE, also~T~ -ji3obtained an ancient Vessel at Lo-yang, with the inscription xNTing-keu, which greatly resembled the above Vessel in its form, as well asin the mode of writing the inscription. The character ffi^ Keu, is formedof Yu .pR "with," and -^ Show, "the hand," i. e. "to lift with the*r \ jhand ;" hence some have imagined that the inscription indicates the exclu-sive use of the Vessel, to be raised or held up when offering the wine.


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B.C. 1656.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY, 47

XXXII.

This Vessel measured in height three Chinese inches and five-tenths ;its containing depth, two inches and nine-tenths ; round the centre, fourinches and six-tenths. It contained about an English pint, and weighedtwo Chinese pounds, having the above inscription, meaning " Sons andgrandsons." The second character is considered an unusual form, for be-sides that which indicates a grandson, with raised hands, there is blendedwith it P] Jih," the sun," forming a compound character. One authoritysays, the two characters intimate that the Vessel should be transmittedfrom son to grandson a correct sentiment : and that ' raising the hands to-wards the sun, indicates respect due to a Prince. He that is acquaintedwith the respect due to a Prince, will not be unacquainted with the duties thatare required from a minister, or son.' The form of the characters isthought sufficient to prove that the Vessel belonged to the SJtangDynasty.


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48 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1627.

XXXIII.

This Vessel measured in height four Chinese inches and three-tenths ; itscontaining depth was three inches and five-tenths ; its circumference atthe top, six inches and three-tenths; round the centre, six inches andfive tenths. It weighed two Chinese pounds and thirteen ounces ; withthe above inscription, which seems to mean a valuable, or precious EWine Vessel. The handles of this Vessel having the form of a tiger'shead, it has been designated the Tiger-head Vessel.An eminent writer supposes that it was used at one of the rites at whichthe Emperor presided, called Te-kd. The same writer remarks, thatthis Vessel was not ornamented with the tiger's head to remind usthat that animal came from the west, but to admonish us to exercise thefive cardinal virtues, ( Benevolence, Justice, Integrity, Sincerity, andPrudence.'


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.

The . Tseo Vessels.

XXXlVi

The above is a specimen of thirty-five Vessels ascribed to this period,which differ very little in their devices. In the introductory remarks toa description of one of them it is said, " Though the Vessel is small, andmay be considered of little worth, yet being a Tseo Vessel, one used ex-clusively by the nobility, and by the officiating officer or Emperor todrink out of, when sacrificing, it is a Vessel of very great importance inthe national rites." Its service was required when worshipping the Godof Heaven, and the earth, spirits, and genii ; also, on ceremonial visits.

It was in height about seven Chinese inches. The whole of the serieshave a handle, with eyes thereon, as though looking at the worshipper.It must be admitted to be a very elegant Vessel.


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VESSELS FOR CONTAINING FRAGRANT WINE,The Class denominated )=n Yew.

XXXV.

THIS Vessel including the cover, measured in height," twelve Chinese


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHA.NG DYNASTY. 51inches and four-tenths ; its containing depth, seven inches and five-tenths ;the length of the neck, four inches and eight-tenths ; that of the body, eightinches and six-tenths ; and the circumference, seven inches and two-tenths.It weighed nine Chinese pounds and twelve ounces. The inscription,which was engraved on the cover and on the vessel, is by the modernswritten, JJj -ffc jffj^ 7^ jjf ^ ~& Sun, tso Tsoo-yih paoutsun e, " The descendants made this beautiful or valuable Vessel in vene-ration of their ancestor TSOO-YIH." From the form of the first ancientcharacter, a hand grasping a missile weapon, this "Vessel has been denomi-nated the Che-taou, " grasping-a-knife Vessel." The Emperor TSOO-YIHreigned 1496 B.C., and was the son of HO-TAN-KEA ; who, owing to greatinundations, removed his court to Ho-chung-foo, in Honan province.The compilers of the Po-koo-too here remark, that the ancient forms ofSun almost invariably represent it as grasping a weapon, which restrictsits meaning to that of a son, or grandson.

It is also stated, that their ancient Emperors, to encourage agriculture,held annually a public festival, when, in the presence of their Court andGentry, they handled the plough, and were followed by their nobles. Thismay be something similar to our ancient Plough Monday. On thisoccasion, the monarch was required to take hold of the jS^ I I Lwan-> *5j / Jknife ; and on offering wine, to make use of the J^ He, Vessel. Whenthe sacred dance commenced, he raised the | '14=1* Kan-tsuh banner ;for it was considered indispensable that all the public rites should beperformed with dignity. Those who assisted at the sacrifice had withthem a knife : may we read a sivord 1 This is assigned as a reason whythe first character is holding up a knife, or other weapon. The ancientwork Le-ke states, that the " usage while dividing the sacrifice, requiredthat the arm should be bared."From the relief and form of the characters, there can be no doubt, say

the Compilers, but that the Vessel is very ancient, and was the first of thiskind of vessels.


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XXXVI.

This Vessel, including the cover, measured in height, eleven Chineseinches and six-tenths ; its containing depth was seven inches and five-


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.tenths ; its circumference, at the neck, four inches and four-tenths, and atthe centre, seven inches and three-tenths. It held about two Englishquarts, and weighed fifteen Chinese pounds and six ounces. In the relief,it is said, may be traced the forms of the fabulous birds Hwang and Fung,which are frequently spoken of in this and the preceding Dynasty. Theirappearance indicated great national prosperity ; and the Vessel is supposedto have been used on occasions of national rejoicings, particularly as thisdevice was frequently employed for similar purposes during the ChowDynasty.

This Vessel, exclusive of its cover, measured nine Chinese inches andthree-tenths in height ; and its containing depth seven inches and five-tenths. The circumference, at the neck, was four inches and five-tenths ;und at the centre, seven inches and one-tenth : from the neck downwards,


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54 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1496.it was eight inches. It was capable^of containing about three Englishpints, but weighed only thirteen Chinese ounces. The first character of-p Stthe inscription is JfyF? ^un) grasping a staff with the right hand, and akind of pronged halbert with the left. The import of the characters is," The grandson of TSOO-TSIN made, or caused to be made, this preciousVessel to be used in the temple he had erected to his ancestors." Thefourteenth Emperor of the Chow Dynasty was called "jjrR Y - TSOO-TSIN(about 1480 B. C.), and his brother yic H^ YUH-KEA. They were sonsof the Emperor ^H "7 TSOO-YIH ; and the latter was father to ]j|J[TSOO-TING. From the form of the first character, it is presumed that theVessel was used at military feasts.The Emperor SHUN, on being called to rule over the empire (2160 B.C.),

caused an ensign of royalty to be placed at the entrance of his palace, andwas attended by a band of musicians ; which usage was continued by hisdescendants. Flags were also anciently considered necessary at dances,and especially on all public rejoicings. They were borne in the hand inreligious processions, and when worshipping at different altars ; hence ithas been thought more than probable, that the staff in the right hand ofthe first character of the inscription should be understood as being a stan-dard.On TSOO-YIH, SHUN'S successor, ascending the throne, commotion

generally prevailed ; but it was happily subdued before the close of hisreign. It is therefore conjectured that this, Vessel was made in commemo-ration of his mild government.


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 55

XXXVIII.

This Vessel with its cover measured in height, thirteen Chinese inehes ;its containing depth was six inches and four-tenths; its circumferenceat the neck three inches, and round the centre seven inches ; it weighedten Chinese pounds and seven ounces ; it had two ears and an arched


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ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS [B.C. 1496.handle. The vessel and cover had the hieroglyphic representation of a rhi-noceros. There is a passage in the Lun-yu, which says, " A tiger and arhinoceros, on escaping from confinement, are known not to be docileanimals, but destroyers of mankind." The ancients, at an early period,used a cup made of the horn of a rhinoceros to drink out of, as a forfeitor punishment. The She-king, in denouncing the crimes of one of theancient ministers, says,

" Give him (the transgressor) a rhinoceros' cup !"It is presumed, from the vessel having the above inscription, that it wasintended to be admonitory, which seems confirmed by its having theHaou-teen device both on the handle and body of the vessel, which hasalready been explained. On the cover two heads of an animal may betraced, and one also on the handle, which are said to be the heads of therhinoceroses.

XXXIX.

This Vessel, including the cover, measured in height, seven Chinese


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.inches and three-tenths ; its containing depth was five inches and three-tenths ; its circumference at the neck, two inches and one-tenth ; and roundthe centre four inches ; it weighed two Chinese pounds and twelve ounces,and had two ears or handles.

T

The inscription reads thus: "The king, TING-TSZE, on Ping-keaday, gave this valuable Vessel to be used when worshipping his brother'smanes, on the nineteenth evening of the month, being the ninth year ofhis reign. May he experience ages of felicity!" The last character isnot understood, though supposed to mean Kaou, " high, lofty."

It is not known to whom this inscription alludes. The Sovereigns of theHea and Chow Dynasties were styled Wang, or kings ; while those of theShang Dynasty, of which we are treating, did not make use of any title, butblending some assumed name with the name of the day on which theyascended the throne, it became their designation. Sze, " a year," the lastcharacter but three, affords good data to calculate on, as to the period whenthe Vessel was made, for during the time of the ancient worthies YAOTJ,and SHUN, the year was expressed by j[gT/ Tsae ; during the Hea Dynastyby T=m Suy; and the Shang Dynasty by ^P Sze; hence, from theirA'lVv PL_-fmode of writing the word year, little doubt can be entertained but thatthis Vessel belonged to this period, for the Chow Sovereigns (the followingDynasty) adopted i~K. Neen, for the year, which has been continued tothe present day.


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XL.

This Vessel, including its cover, measured in height ten Chinese inches ;its containing depth seven inches and five-tenths ; the circumference ofits neck three inches and five-tenths} its breadth two inches and six-


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 59tenths ; the length of the body six inches and seven-tenths ; its circum-ference five inches and four-tenths. It contained two quarts, and weighedseven Chinese pounds and five ounces ; it had two ears and a handle, withthe above inscription on the vessel and cover. The first character isformed of three arrows stuck in a kind of stand, the other three are Peifoo Sin. The Shoo-hing records, that the Sovereign of Ping made DukeWAN, of the state Sin, a present of a vessel for containing fragrantwine, a bow, and one hundred arrows made of the Tung wood; also abow made of the Lew wood, with one hundred arrows, which kind ofarrows were highly esteemed in those days. The first character isthought to be hieroglyphical of the three presents. The Vessel is statedto have been preserved by the family, in remembrance of the munificenceof the Prince who bestowed it.The compilers of the Po-koo-too in their discussions on the aboveinscription, remark, " One produced two, two produced three, and threeproduced all things." Three, therefore, is a perfect number; the sameremark may apply to all odd numbers, as five, ^ seven, nine, as theycannot be divided into two equal parts. There is something remarkablein the words, that " Three produced all things, does it convey an indis-tinct idea of the Trinity 1" The Budhists, who are of modern date in China,use the term, " The three Precious Ones," the Deity that has ruled, theruling Deity, and the Deity that shall rule. The Taou Sect have alsotheir " Three Pure Ones." The number three has many other associations,as " The three Bonds," a Prince and minister, father and son, husband andwife ; " The three Superintendents," the treasurer, judge, and collector ofcustoms ; and

"The three Power*," Heaven, Earth, and Man, &c.


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XLI.

This Vessel measured in height, eight Chinese inches; its containingdepth was four inches and nine-tenths ; its circumference, at the neck, fourinches and three-tenths ; and round the centre, seven inches. It weighedfive Chinese pounds and nine ounces. At each side was attached a drop,which answered the purpose of a handle, having the ancient character rJhTeen, " field, or land," on it. The device is considered ingenious andchaste, and is much admired by the moderns. It is supposed that this


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B.C. 1496.] OF THE SHANG DYNASTY. 61Vessel, the only one of the pattern which appears to have been preserved,was set apart for presenting thank-offerings for an abundant harvest.

XLII.

This Vessel measured in height seven Chinese inches and eight-tenths ;its containing depth six inches and seven-tenths ; its circumference at themouth four inches and five-tenths ; round the centre seven inches and six-tenths. It weighed eight Chinese pounds and four ounces, having theabove inscription. The first character represents a person brandishing alance or spear in each hand. Spears were anciently, and are now, carriedin religious processions, and form a part of the furniture of the temple.In antiquity, both civil and military officers of government, as well asthe people, were required to be expert in the use of the spear. Fromamong such as excelled in this exercise, it is said, kings were chosen,and by it they retained possession of their state. It is recorded, thatin honour of the spear, a piece of sacred music was composed for the useof the temple, and that this Vessel, which is supposed to have containedsweet wine, was used on such occasions. The same authority remarks


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62 ANCIENT CHINESE WINE VESSELS. [B.C. 1496.that Kivei, the last character of the inscription, here signifies ^fci Paou." to recompense ;" and that as CHING-TANG, the founder of this Dynasty,acquired the empire by the spear, it is thought that his son had this Vesselmade in honour of him.

Note. While the preceding paper introduces the Reader to an acquaint-ance with the ancient usages and rites of the Chinese, during their earlyhistory, it cannot have escaped his notice, that the embellishments ofthe Vessels, if not elegant, are always chaste, and, as it has been shown,were admonitory. Regretting, as we must, their ignorance of God's Word, itis pleasing, in the midst of great darkness, to see the happy effects of thecorrect principle of filial duty, or reverence for parents respect for theelders of the same family and for those who hold important situations.This principle, or doctrine, was doubtless held by FUH-HE, and his imme-diate descendants ; but CONFUCIUS embodied it, and caused it to be, asthey say, a blessing to ten thousand ages. We wonder not, therefore,that so many Vessels should have had the character Tsze, a "son," Iand Sun, a "grandson," as well as the many significant devices by wayof ornament, nor the almost invariable attendant, the all-seeing eye, en-

graved on them, implying the inevitable consequences of impiety.We conclude our remarks with the following stanza from the She-king,

which is sung by boys, dressed as woodland Naiads, at the Luh-ming feast,a banquet given by the Governor of the province, attended by the highofficers, both civil and military, to those who obtain the literary Keu-jindegree, " Hark ! to the cry of the bleating deer,

While feeding on the desert herb !Here we have honoured guests,Sound the drum, the harp, the reed,Blow the cheerful htvang,For here is a plenteous store.O ! ye men that love me,Show me the great path of VIBTTTE !"

THOMS' Chinese Courtship, page 161.


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OF THE SHANG DYNASTY, 63

A MIRROR OF THE TANG DYNASTY.

The above Diagram represents the reverse side of a polished steel mirror.The centre represents the sun ; the four animals around it are four ofthe Planets. The next circle contains the Pa-kwa, or FUH-HE'S EightDiagrams, by which he and his followers attempt to account for all thechanges and transmutations which take place in nature. The outer circlerepresents the twelve signs of the Chinese Zodiac, with their names, andthe time of their rising.


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PRINTED BY P. V. THOMS. 12, WARWICK SQUAUK. NKWGATE STRKET.


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Documents

Shang Dynasty Vesels